Dannielynn Birkhead honored her late mother at the 2019 Kentucky Derby in the sweetest way. While attending the annual event as she always does with her dad Larry Birkhead, the 12-year-old wore a large pink hat covered in ribbons as per typical horse race attire. But it wasn’t just any headwear – it was the very same cap that her mom Anna Nicole Smith wore to the very same event in 2004.
“Kentucky Derby time once again. Dannielynn looks pretty in pink in her dress by Junona and her Mom’s hat from her unforgettable appearance at The Kentucky Derby in 2004,” Larry tweeted alongside a sweet photo of him and his daughter dressed for the races. This year marks the 10th in a row that this father-daughter duo has attended the Kentucky Derby together. “”Larry looks forward to the Kentucky Derby every single year. It’s probably his favorite weekend of the year and he’s gotten Dannielynn into it as well,” a source close to Larry tells HollywoodLife exclusively.
Anna Nicole sadly passed in 2007, but Dannielynn and Larry still try to keep her memory alive with mementos and stories from her life. “Larry constantly talks about Dannielynn’s mom,” the insider says. “When Anna passed, Larry vowed to everyone that he would do that and he’s succeeded. Larry is really private when it comes to Dannielynn, but he reminds her constantly about her mom and tells her daily how much she looks just like her. She is a spitting image of her mother and Larry loves that.”
The insider adds that Dannielynn was raised “to be a very normal, humble girl” and Larry “knows Anna is looking down and proud of the young woman she has become.” The source continues: “It’s always been Larry’s priority to raise her out of the spotlight as much as possible which is why this public outing and photo of them is so rare. Larry truly loved Anna and he knows how much she loved their little girl. Dannielynn has a lot of things from her mom proudly displayed in the home she shares with her dad and they look at pictures and talk about memories and everything.”